Contents

For 2011, in England and Wales, the White British self-classification option included the subcategories of: White English, White Welsh, White Scottish and White Northern Irish.[5][6] The 2011 questionnaire for Scotland the White British category was broken down into two different categories: White Scottish and Other White British.[7] For Northern Ireland in 2011 the White British classification did not appear, the only choice being ‘White’.[4]

The White British census classification have their ages more evenly distributed in their population pyramid and have the highest percent female population of all ethnic-based classifications. About 64% percent of the White British classification are between the ages of 16 and 64 while about 19% percent are under 16 and 19% percent are over 64. All other census classifications have a higher percentage of their population under 16 and a lower percentage over 64. Of those aged 65 or over, White British are 41% percent male and 59% percent female, making them have the lowest percent male population among all census classifications defined as "ethnic" in the census.[8]

As at 2011 London contains by far the lowest percentage of White British people of all the UK regions, where they make up less than half of the population in 24 of the 32 boroughs, including Newham (16.7%), Brent (18.0%), Ealing (30.4%), Harrow (30.9%), Tower Hamlets (31.2%), Westminster (35.2%) and Hackney (36.2%). The city with the lowest White British population as a percentage is Leicester (45.1%). The Unitary Authority with the lowest White British percentage is Slough (34.5%), followed by Luton (44.6%).[1]

(Note:- though since 2001 census data for White British and White Irish have not been collected as a combined figure under the category of ‘White’, new tables which cross-reference ethnicity with National Identity provide a comparable population estimate).[3]

Based on data published in 2004 derived from the 2001 UK Census, the unemployment rates for White British, at about 4%, were below those for other ethnic groups, including the Indian ethnic group at 7%, and other groups which were around 15%. The proportion of White British who were self-employed - around 13% - was similar to the level in the Indian (14%) ethnic group, significantly lower than the proportions in the Pakistani (22%) and Chinese (18%) groups, and higher than in the Black Caribbean and Bangladeshi ethnic groups (both 10%), and Black Africans (6%). A higher proportion of White British (12%) worked in professional occupations, compared with the Black Caribbean group (8%); the proportion was comparable to that in the Black African, Pakistani and Bangladeshi groups (both 10%), but lower than in the Indian and Chinese ethnic groups (about 18%).[10]

Statistically, White British are more likely to be Christian than other ethnic-based classifications. White British are 75% Christian, mostly Anglican (or Presbyterian in Scotland), while the percentage for all non-white groups is a little less than 75%. About 17% of the White British population reported having "no religion". The 17% percent figure for "no religion" is about the same for all groups. About 7% percent of the White British declined to state any religion.[11]